MLB

Giants decline 2013 contract option for Huff

SAN FRANCISCO (AP)

The World Series champion San Francisco Giants are parting ways
with Aubrey Huff, declining to exercise his $10 million club option
Thursday after two disappointing seasons following a big year
during the team's title run two years ago.

A day after the Giants celebrated their second championship in
three years with a lavish parade through downtown, vice president
of baseball operations Bobby Evans made the announcement regarding
the first baseman and outfielder - though it hardly came as a
surprise. Huff will receive a $2 million buyout as part of the $22
million, two-year contract he signed in November 2010.

''I thank him for his major contribution in helping us win the
World Series in 2010 and being there to help in whatever role we
had him in this year,'' manager Bruce Bochy said.

He batted .192 with a home run and seven RBIs in 52 games during
an injury-plagued year featuring three stints on the disabled list.
One of those happened after Huff sprained his right knee while
jumping over the dugout railing to celebrate Matt Cain's perfect
game June 13 and went on the disabled list.

He landed on the knee and had to be helped off the field.

In late April, Huff was placed on the DL so he could undergo
treatment for an anxiety disorder. He later revealed to the San
Francisco Chronicle he experienced an eight-hour panic attack that
began in his New York hotel room early on April 23, when the Giants
played a doubleheader against the Mets. Huff headed home to Florida
and had another such attack the following day, then called Giants
athletic trainers and told them what happened after initially
saying he had a family emergency.

This time around, understandably, Wednesday's parade was much
different for the 35-year-old Huff after he played such a limited
role this year. He and his family attended the festivities and it
served as his San Francisco farewell.

In 2010, Huff hit .290 with a team-leading 26 home runs and 86
RBIs while playing in 157 games, then starred during the postseason
by hitting .268 with one home run and eight RBIs.

He also inspired his teammates and the fans with that infamous
red rally thong, then vowed to leave it in the past and retired it
before spring training ahead of the 2011 season.

Huff, a fifth-round draft pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 1998 out
of Miami, made the playoffs in 2010 for the first time after
playing 11 major league seasons.

''Huff was a huge reason we won in 2010 not only for his
contributions in the 2010 postseason but his consistent production
throughout the entire 2010 campaign,'' Evans said. ''I'm glad he
was able to fight his way back to the active roster to finish the
2012 season and serve as a bat off the bench in the postseason this
year.''

Related Stories

Member Comments

Please note by clicking on "Post comment" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Use and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms. Be Polite. Inappropriate posts may be removed by the moderator.